Getting labels off of bottles

Okay, I didn't see this in the "you know you're not a nOOb" section so here it goes:

What is the best way to get commercial bottle labels off of bottles?

Phew. I feel, ... peaceful.

Soak them in hot water and oxyclean. I use 1 -2 scoops in5 gallons of water and they usually just fall off. Sometimes I have to wipe them of with a scrubby, but its' no big deal.

I soak 'em in 5 gallons of hot water w/2.5oz (5 tablespoons) of PBW. I have a restaurant bus tub that holds 35-40 bottles at a time or a larger Rubbermaid container that'll hold more. The labels start to loosen up in about half an hour but I usually let them soak overnight. Any residual adhesive comes off with a gentle rub. rinse with warm water and let dry in the dishwasher rack.

Nice Tele, by the way.

Chad

Oxyclean is the best. Use a scoop or so in a few gallons, let them sit there for a few hours, and the labels fall off in one piece! then take a cloth or sponge to wipe off the glue. Too easy.

Another oxyclean user here! I usually just toss all the bottles that need labels removed in the sink the night before, let them soak, and they're good to go when I bottle the next day.

Hot water + TSP + overnight soak = a layer of floating labels in the morning

I fill up the sink with cold water and a bit of bleach, put the bottles in there, soak over night, scrap the labels off in the am, and clean the sink and make the wife happy at the same time!

I did a case of bottles in the kitchen sink last week with hot tap water and ammonia, they fell right off

+1 for oxyclean!

Soak in hot PBW overnight and there is nothing to scrub off at all. (the PBW starts off hot).

:cross:

Oxy here as well, just make sure you rinse well.

Ize

I just fill the sink with steaming hot water and let the bottles soak until the water is cold, and the Labels slide right off then I use a damp rag to wipe off the glue residue.

NOT ANYMORE

I had some gushers here. I am back to a 48 hour soak in OxyClean, bottle brush, good rinse, then disinfect.



I just run them through the dishwasher. Some labels come right off, others don't. Who cares? It is what's inside that matters, right?

If I am giving beer as a gift I'll give the bottles the labels came off of cleanly. Otherwise I've got more important things to get bent out of shape about.

Besides, when I run them through again just before I bottle even more lables come off.

I use fire

Poindexter said:

I just run them through the dishwasher. Some labels come right off, others don't. Who cares? It is what's inside that matters, right?

If I am giving beer as a gift I'll give the bottles the labels came off of cleanly. Otherwise I've got more important things to get bent out of shape about.

Besides, when I run them through again just before I bottle even more lables come off.

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do you use detergent or just run a rinse cycle?

ilikebeer said:

do you use detergent or just run a rinse cycle?

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Day in day out whatever bottles I accumulate go in the DW with everything else, with soap and economy not heated dry. Then the clean empty bottles go to storage. When I am ready to bottle I run a load of just bottles with soap and heated dry.

So far so good. Even stubborn labels will eventually come all the way off.

I read somewhere about using ammonia and hot water. I let it sit about 30 minutes, checked one, and the labels fell right off into the water. I justed used the hot tap water and I have my water heater set for about 135 degrees.

i just soak in hot tap water for 30 mins, peel off the labels then use a steel sool scrubber lightly to take off the remaing glue and paper, quick, easy, and cheap

I soak mine in hot water first, then scrape the label with a pocket knife or thumbnail. Then I use a green scrub pad soaked in charcoal lighter fluid to get off the sticky stuff. This works really fast but smells bad and leaves an oily film on the bottles, so once the label is off I was them with Dawn detergent before sanitizing them.

I keep a plastic tote in the garage with water and oxyclean in it. I drop bottles with labels in, and whenever I think of it, (normally days later) I pull clean bottles out. No scrubbing unless you get one of those breweries with labels that are epoxied onto the bottle with concrete adhesive. Not sure if that is really what they are using, but they dang sure don't come clean.

the easiest label to get off of bottles is the coors light bottle. a lot of microbrew bottle labels are hard to get off. stick to the commercial bottles.

The Bone2 said:

Okay, I didn't see this in the "you know you're not a nOOb" section so here it goes:

What is the best way to get commercial bottle labels off of bottles?

Phew. I feel, ... peaceful.

Click to expand...

If you are not in a rush get a 5 gal bucket, fill it w/Oxyclean and soak your bottles for a week or so. No need to heat it. I can fit 12 bottles standing at a time.

I soak them until I have 12 more emptys and them make the switch.

I soak my bottles for about 2 hours, scrape them with a razor and they come off, glue residue and all, with quickness and ease.